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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Alisher Usmanov, the Arsenal owner and the
richest man in Russia, has bought the Nobel prize that was sold by James
Watson, one of three people who won the prize for discovering the DNA
double helix. Usmanov will now give it straight back to him — leaving
Watson with the medal as well as the record-breaking $4.1 million that
Usmanov bought it for.

Alisher Usmanov, bought the Nobel Prize medal of American biologist James Watson at a Christie’s auction and plans to return it.

Usmanov paid $4.1 million for the medal, awarded to Watson
in 1962 for his work on discovering the structure of DNA, the
billionaire’s USM Holdings said in a statement today.

“In my opinion, a situation in which an outstanding
scientist sells a medal recognizing his achievements is
unacceptable,” Usmanov said in the statement. “Dr. Watson’s
work contributed to cancer research, the illness from which my
father died. It is important for me that the money that I spent
on this medal will go to supporting scientific research, and the
medal will stay with the person who deserved it.”

The auction was held at Christie’s in New York on Dec. 4.
The medal had been given a pre-auction estimate $2.5 million to
$3.5 million, the auction house said.

Watson plans to give the proceeds to Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory, the University of Chicago, and Clare College,
Cambridge.

The gifts mean “I can continue to do my part in keeping
the academic world an environment where great ideas and decency
prevail,” Watson said in a statement last week. “I also intend
to direct funds to the Long Island Land Trust and other local
charities I have long supported.”

Watson, 86, who was awarded the prize together with Francis
Crick, has been ostracized by many in the scientific community
since he made comments linking race and intelligence in a 2007
newspaper interview.